Love and serve like Jesus.
One week ago, Serve Saturday was in full swing, and more than 325 Hillside volunteers spread out across our community and served in various organizations, impacting more than 1,000 in our area, and showing exactly what it means to love and serve like Jesus. We are grateful for everyone that participated!
Several of these groups provided love and support to organizations directly involved with foster care, providing a great opportunity to wrap up National Foster Care Month.
At the Department of Children and Family Services in San Bernardino, more than 60 volunteers painted beautiful murals on the visitation room walls, spruced up the toys, and rearranged every room to make it warm and welcoming for the children and their families who will use these rooms each week. Third grade students served that day by painting the murals, all hand-drawn by Hillside student, Gracie Anderson.
These rooms are for children to visit with their parents, prospective adoptive parents and foster children between homes, and we pray the fresh paint will bring fresh joy to each person that steps in the room.
Another group of Hillside volunteers spent the morning up at Hillside packing more than 100 duffel bags, or Hope Bags, for foster care teens staying overnight in CPS offices. These bags, filled with toiletries, treats and comfort items, were prayed over as they were packed – that the bags would be a great source of comfort for the youths that receive them and that ultimately they would feel His great love for them!
Additionally, our student ministries hosted a BBQ at Hillside for local group homes in the area, filled with games, kickball, good food, and relationship-building. Our next generation of leaders had a fun morning and we are proud of them for paving the way in what means to love and serve like Jesus!
These opportunities were just a small way to support foster care in our area. If you are interested in learning more about foster care or adoption, then join us at The Starfish Ministry’s Curious Class on Sunday, June 10. Click here to sign up!